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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · rash · cap · saw · stick · rock · bear · calf

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cap — a hat
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com